Carbon's Largest Land Owner Urges Fair, Updated Assessment

January 26, 1993|by TYRA BRADEN, The Morning Call

No Carbon County resident at yesterday's hearing to consider a 5-mill tax hike tried to rebut testimony that the county needs money, but several people insisted financial woes would disappear if the commissioners would reassess property.

The proposal would raise the property tax rate 20 percent, to 30 mills. A decision was not immediately issued.

W. Jack Kalins, president of Vacation Charters Ltd., the county's largest assessed property owner, said the company's standing, "which we do not consider an honor," is "primarily the result of antiquated assessment standards."

The county has not reassessed property since 1969. Assessment is based on 40 percent of fair market value.

Vacation Charters owns Split Rock resort in Kidder Township. Kalins said that before the company bought 372 acres of an 863-acre parcel in 1990, that land was assessed at about $40 per acre. After the sale, the 372 acres was assessed at about $727 an acre, an increase of 1,825 percent. Assessment of the remainder of the parcel remained unchanged after the sale.

"We oppose any judicial authority to increase the statutory tax millage of the county and would strongly suggest that a county-wide reassessment be ordered by the court," Kalins said. "In the meantime, the county should be required to operate within its statutory limit by reducing services and costs by $800,000. A 15.6 percent increase (in services and costs) is not warranted."

And Thomas Jenkins, zoning officer for Towamensing Township, said the county has a poor track record of putting new homes on the tax rolls.

Jenkins, who also testified that reassessment is needed, handed county Judges John P. Lavelle and Richard W. Webb stacks of documents showing that numerous homes have been neglected for tax purposes, some for nearly two years.

Before opening yesterday's hearing to public comment, Lavelle said testimony should be limited to questions about testimony from county commissioners Chairman Dean D.W. DeLong and county financial consultant Jay R. Thatcher Jr. about the 1993 $828,679 budget deficit.

The commissioners eliminated the deficit primarily by raising the real estate tax the additional 5 mills subject to court approval.

There were about 50 people watching the hearing, many of whom registered in the morning to testify. The morning's testiony focused on the county's justification for raising taxes. A brief afternoon session was primarily for residents who wanted to speak. Less than half of the 50 people came back after the lunch break.

"If you're here to tell us that you don't want your taxes raised, nobody in this courtroom wants taxes raised," Lavelle said. "That's a given in this case."

The nine who spoke said they couldn't afford a tax increase.

Elsbeth Lade was typical of those who said they couldn't afford to pay more. She said she lives near Beltzville Lake and is a widow who lives "on a dirt road, in a house that's 28 by 44 (feet), on a lot that's 1.4 acres." Lade said she pays $1,400 annually in taxes and doesn't have enough money to pay more.

Lavelle said he has no authority to lower her taxes, but told her she has a right to challenge her assessment.

Clarence Rohrer of Albrightsville said that if the commissioners are granted the tax increase, he wanted Lavelle and Webb to demand that the county be reassessed. Lavelle said that if the increase is allowed, he and Webb cannot, by law, impose conditions.

Rohrer said his assessment is "three times as much as the $3,000 average. It's $9,000." And, Rohrer said, he lives in the Towamensing Trails development, an area where his tax payments do not include sewer, water and garbage service or police protection.

"You gotta equalize," Rohrer said, adding that he is helping to form a taxpayers association in his neighborhood. "We almost feel like we're getting taxation without representation."

Steve Redash of Summit Hill said that although he opposes the tax increase, primarily because senior citizens cannot afford to pay more, the problem of deficit spending began several years ago, before the current Board of Commissioners took control.

Will Mathisen of East Penn Township said he was concerned that the commissioners and judges didn't schedule a night meeting about the proposed tax increase, because more people could attend after working hours.

But Mathisen told Lavelle he knew that others wanted only to say that they do not want a tax increase.